ILPS-US Statement on the Gaza Resistance
The International League of Peoples’ Struggle - US joins the Palestinian people in celebrating the brave and coordinated resistance operations against the Zionist occupation of Israel. The breadth of these operations shows the unwavering unity of the Palestinian people to free themselves from the US-backed occupation and to wage nothing short of revolution for their right of return and liberation from over 75 years of oppression.
On the morning of October 7th, Palestinian resistance fighters launched “Al-Aqsa Flood,” a surprise attack from Gaza, the besieged and densely populated land known by many as the “world’s largest open air prison.” Bulldozers were used to tear up portions of the Zionist-built border fence so that people could enter by land; small boats were used to repel Zionist attack ships by sea; and motorized paragliders were used to push fighters into illegal Israeli settlements by air. Palestinian forces took over police barracks and military checkpoints, while prisons were stormed to free those being held. Others seized Zionist military equipment, killed dozens of soldiers and took many soldiers hostage in the hopes of bargaining for the further freedom of over 5,200 Palestinian political prisoners. Hamas, the elected governing party of Gaza, launched a barrage of missiles from Gaza as a cover for fighters to infiltrate specific targets to militarily maximize political gains for the Palestinian liberation struggle.
The attacks were planned to catch the Zionist government completely off guard in the midst of its deepest political crisis yet. The ruling Likud Party headed by Netanyahu is deeply unpopular even by those who hold Israeli citizenship, who have held mass protests calling for Netanyahu’s ouster. Large numbers of Zionist army reservists were on strike refusing to serve, and so the occupation military was in no state to respond to the waves of resistance rushing boldly forth from besieged Gaza. Yet, Netanyahu seized the moment to declare all-out war on Palestine to avert attention from the crimes of his own corrupt regime. The fact that striking reservists pledged to return to active duty only at this moment shows that, truly, the only thing that unites the fractious entity of Israel is the occupation of Palestine. Israel is, has always been, and always will be a fascist ethno-state for as long as it exists, and no calls from within for “democracy” will ever ring true until they are attached to the call to end the occupation and dismantle the Zionist government itself.
ILPS-US calls on all its members and all freedom-loving people of the world to give unconditional support for unconditional resistance of the Palestinian people from the Zionist settler colonial project, just one of many arms of imperialism today. As this statement is being written, the Biden administration has already reaffirmed its “unwavering support” for sending weapons to the Zionist state, and Israeli airstrikes have killed or wounded over 200 Palestinians in counter attacks. The bravery of the Palestinian people, willing to give everything for their freedom and right to return, must be matched by our bravery in the belly of the beast to do whatever necessary to disarm Zionism once and for all by building a broad anti-imperialist united front that will challenge the rule of US imperialism through the militant actions of all peoples united for collective liberation. Together, let us defend peoples struggle from the river to the sea!
Resistance until Return and Liberation!
Free All Palestinian Prisoners!
